National Swimming Pool Day
July 11 is National Swimming Pool Day.
Up until the 1960s, males swam naked in many swimming pools such as YMCA pools and college pools. As long as no females were present, men and boys had no problem swimming naked with each other.
Above is a photo of a YMCA pool in Columbus, Ohio in the 1930s.
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A YMCA swimming lesson. I got this from Bob's Naked Guys. Thanks, Bob!
This is the Encina Gym at Stanford University in 1930 with naked students working out in the pool.
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This photo of naked boys in a swimming pool was published in the Oct. 16, 1950 issue of LIFE magazine. Taken by LIFE photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt, it accompanied an article about New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago). LIFE did not publish frontal male nudity, but they occasionally published rear male nudity.
However, there are quite a few fakes out there. This appealing photo shows a diver at the National Collegiate Swimming Championships held at Ohio State University in 1953.
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Only problem: that photo is a fake. Yes, the event happened in 1953, but the swimmers were not naked. Above is the real photo, taken by LIFE photographer Joe Scherschel.
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We end with Ron Barnes in Bob Mizer's pool in a 1977 AMG photo. (I don't know why he's on a surfboard.) I got the photo from Vintage Muscle Men. Thanks, Jerry! And happy National Swimming Pool Day!
3 comments:
Our high school and college swim classes were always naked. Ditto at the Y. Nobody gave it a thought.
Well, then.... Today is MY day! LOL.
Curious that in the group photos showing nude swimmers (YMCA, college swim classes, etc.) that the coaches always wore suits, t-shirts, and/or gym pants. Any photos out there showing a nude coach?
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